Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Sexual Harm, Public Education and Risk Management

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Contemporary Sex Offender Risk Management, Volume I

Part of the book series: Palgrave Studies in Risk, Crime and Society ((PSRCS))

Abstract

This chapter will highlight research and practice internationally on ways to educate the public regarding sex abuse and how successful they have been. The chapter will cover issues including the relationship between experts and the public, public criminology, media narratives as well as engagement and political positions, and debates, on this topic. It will highlight the ways in which society has tried to engage with the topic of sexual harm (including bystander intervention, government programmes and grassroots drives, such as Reclaim the Night) and assess how successful they have been academically, socially and politically. The chapter will end with a discussion of the current state of research and evaluation on this topic and where we might go next.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Bohner, G., & Wanke, M. (2009). The Psychology of Attitudes and Persuasion. In J. Wood & T. Gannon (Eds.), Public Opinion and Criminal Justice (pp. 3–32). Cullompton: Willan.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bollinger, J., Katie, S., & Richard, K. (2012). Who Thinks What about Child Protection: Community Perceptions and Awareness of Child Protection Strategies and their Effectiveness for Reducing Sexual Offending. Sexual Abuse in Australia and New Zealand, 4(1), 33–40.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brown, S. (1999). Public Attitudes toward the Treatment of Sex Offenders. Legal and Criminological Psychology, 4, 239–252.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brown, S., Deakin, J., & Spencer, J. (2008). What People Think about the Management of Sex Offenders in the Community. Howard Journal of Criminal Justice, 47, 259–274.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bumby, K., Carter, M., Gilligan, L., & Talbot, T. (2010). Exploring Public Awareness and Attitudes about Sex Offender Management: Findings from a National Public Opinion Poll. Silver Spring: Center for Sex Offender Management, Center for Effective Public Policy.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cabinet Office. (2010). Building the Big Society. http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/news/building-big-society. Accessed 18 Aug 2011.

  • Center for Sex Offender Management. (2010). Exploring Public Awareness and Attitudes about Sex Offender Management: Findings from a National Public Opinion Poll. http://www.csom.org/pubs/CSOM-Exploring%20Public%20Awareness.pdf. Accessed 23 Jan 2017.

  • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2004). Sexual Violence Prevention: Beginning the Dialogue. Atlanta: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

    Google Scholar 

  • Comartin, E., Kernsmith, P., & Kernsmith, P. (2009). Sanctions for Sex Offenders: Fear and Public Policy. Journal of Offender Rehabilitation, 48(7), 605–619.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Crown Prosecution Service. (2016). Violence against Women and Girls: Crime Report 2015–16. http://www.cps.gov.uk/publications/docs/cps_vawg_report_2016.pdf. Accessed 3 Sept 2016.

  • Durham University. (2017). Durham University’s Sexual Violence Task Force: A Higher Education Initiative to Address Sexual Violence and Misconduct on Campus. https://www.dur.ac.uk/resources/svtf/SVTFbrochurePROOF.pdf. Accessed 5 Apr 2017.

  • Esser-Stuart, J., & Skibinski, G. (1998). Child Sexual Abuse Intervention: An Exploratory Study of Policy Concerns and Implications for Program Development. Journal of Child Sexual Abuse, 7(2), 87–103.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fenton, R., Mott, H., McCartan, K., & Rumney, P. (2016). A Review of Evidence for Bystander Intervention to Prevent Sexual and Domestic Violence in Universities. London: Public Health England.

    Google Scholar 

  • FrameWorks Institute. (2016). Strategic Frame Analysis. Retrieved from: http://www.frameworksinstitute.org/sfa-overview.html

  • Giddens, A. (1991). Modernity and Self-Identity: Self and Society in the Late Modern Age. Cambridge: Polity Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Groombridge, N. (2007). Criminologists Say ...: An Analysis of UK National Press Coverage of Criminology and Criminologists and a Contribution to the Debate on “Public Criminology”. Howard Journal, 46, 459–475.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hanvey, S., Philpot, T., & Wilson, C. (2011). A Community-Based Approach to the Reduction of Sexual Reoffending. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.

    Google Scholar 

  • Katz Schiavone, S., & Jeglic, E. (2009). Public Perceptions of Sex Offender Social Policies and the Impact on Sex Offenders. International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology, 53(6), 679–695.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Katz, S., Levenson, J., & Ackerman, A. (2008). Myths and Facts about Sexual Violence: Public Perceptions and Implications for Prevention. Journal of Criminal Justice and Popular Culture, 15, 291–311.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kemshall, H., & Moulden, H. (2016). Communicating about Child Sexual Abuse with the Public: Learing the Lessons from Public Awareness Campaigns. Journal of Sexual Aggression, online first.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kitzinger, J. (2004). Framing Abuse: Media Influence and Public Understandings of Sexual Violence against Children. London: Pluto.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kleban, H., & Jeglic, E. (2012). Dispelling the Myths: Can Psychoeducation Change Public Attitudes towards Sex Offenders? Journal of Sexual Aggression, 18, 178–193.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Krug, E., Dahlberg, L., Mercy, J., Zwi, A., & Lozano, R. (2002). Violence: A Global Public Health Problem. In Word Health Organization (ed.), World Report on Violence and Health (pp. 3–21). Geneva: World Health Organization. Retrieved from: http://www.who.int/violence_injury_prevention/violence/world_report/en/chap1.pdf

  • Laws, D. R. (2000). Sexual Offending as a Public Health Problem: A North American Perspective. Journal of Sexual Aggression, 5, 30–44.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Levenson, J. S., & D’Amora, D. (2007). Social Policies Designed to Prevent Sexual Violence: The Emperor’s New Clothes? Criminal Justice Policy Review, 18, 168–199.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Loader, I., & Sparks, R. (2010). Public Criminology? London: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mancini, C. (2014). Examining Factors that Predict Public Concern about the Collateral Consequences of Sex Crime Policy. Criminal Justice Policy Review, 25(4), 450–475.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Maruna, S., & King, A. (2004). Public Opinion and Community Penalties. In A. Bottoms, S. Rex, & G. Robinson (Eds.), Alternatives to Prison: Options for an Insecure Society (pp. 83–112). Cullompton: Willan.

    Google Scholar 

  • May, T. (2016). The Shared Society: Prime Minister’s Speech at the Charity Commission Annual Meeting. https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/the-shared-society-prime-ministers-speech-at-the-charity-commission-annual-meeting. Accessed 11 Jan 2017.

  • McAlinden, A. M. (2007). Public Attitudes towards Sex Offenders in Northern Ireland: Research and Statistical Bulletin 6/2007. Belfast: Northern Ireland Office.

    Google Scholar 

  • McAvoy, J. (2012). Birds of a Feather? Irish Public Attitudes towards Sex Crime and Sex Offender Reintegration. Is There a Publicly Perceived Scale of Sexual Deviance? Unpublished Master’s Thesis, Dublin Institute of Technology, Dublin.

    Google Scholar 

  • McCartan, K. F. (2004). “Here There Be Monsters”: The Public’s Perception of Paedophiles with Particular Reference to Belfast and Leicester. Medicine, Science and the Law, 44, 327–342.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McCartan, K. F. (2008). Current Understandings of Paedophilia and the Resulting Crisis in Modern Society. In J. M. Caroll & M. K. Alena (Eds.), Psychological Sexual Dysfunctions (pp. 51–84). New York: Nova Publishers.

    Google Scholar 

  • McCartan, K. F. (2009). Paedophilia: The Actual vs. the Constructed? Is a Change of Terminology Needed? ATSA Forum, 21(2), 16–21.

    Google Scholar 

  • McCartan, K. F. (2010a). Student/Trainee–Professional Implicit Theories of Paedophilia. Psychology, Crime and Law, 16, 265–288.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McCartan, K. (2010b). Media Constructions and Reactions to Paedophilia in Modern Society. In K. Harrison (Ed.), Managing High-risk Sex Offenders in the Community: Risk Management, Treatment and Social Responsibilities. Cullompton: Willan.

    Google Scholar 

  • McCartan, K. F. (2011). Professionals’ Contemporary Theories and Understandings of Paedophilia. International Journal of Police Science and Management, 13(4), 322–335.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McCartan, K. F. (2012). The Management of Sexual Offenders in the Community: Austerity, Engagement, Interaction and the “Big Society”. Prison Service Journal, 201, 39–43.

    Google Scholar 

  • McCartan, K. F. (2013). From a Lack of Engagement and Mistrust to Partnership? Public Attitudes to the Disclosure of Sex Offender Information. International Journal of Police Science and Management, 13, 219–236.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McCartan, K. F. (2016). Circles of Support and Accountability Social Impact Evaluation: Final Report. Cabinet Office.

    Google Scholar 

  • McCartan, K. F., Hudson, K., & Kemshall, H. (2012). Public Understandings of Sexual Abuse and Sexual Abusers. ATSA Forum, 24, 3.

    Google Scholar 

  • McCartan, K., Kemshall, H., & Tabachnick, J. (2015). The Construction of Community Understandings of Sexual Violence: Rethinking Public, Practitioner and Policy Discourses. Journal of Sexual Aggression, 21(1), 100–116.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McCartan, K., Kemshall, H., & Hoggett, J. (2017). Reframing the Sex Offender Register and Disclosure: From Monitoring and Control to Desistence and Prevention. In H. Kemshall & K. McCartan (Eds.), Contemporary Sex Offender Risk Management. Palgrave. Chapter 8.

    Google Scholar 

  • McCorkle, R. C. (1993). Research Note: Punish and Rehabilitate? Public Attitudes toward Six Common Crimes. Crime and Delinquency, 39((2)), 240–252.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McQuail, D. (2011). Mass Communication Theory (6th ed.). London: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mears, D., Mancini, C., Gertz, M., & Bratton, J. (2008). Sex Crimes, Children, and Pornography: Public Views and Public Policy. Crime and Delinquency, 54(4), 532–559.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ministry of Justice. (2016). Multi-agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) Annual Report 2015 to 2016. London: The Stationery Office.

    Google Scholar 

  • National Sexual Violence Resource Center. (2015). Media Packet: Campus Sexual Assault. http://www.nsvrc.org/publications/nsvrc-publications-fact-sheets/media-packet-campus-sexual-assault. Accessed 20 Mar 2017.

  • National Sexual Violence Resource Center. (2016). Key FINDINGS on Sexual Violence from the “Global Status Report on Violence Prevention 2014.” http://www.nsvrc.org/publications/nsvrc-publications-research-briefs/key-findings-sexual-violence-global-status-report. Accessed 4 Apr 2017.

  • National Sexual Violence Resource Center. (2017). New Data Reveals High Awareness among US Adults on What Constitutes Sexual Assault. http://www.nsvrc.org/news/press-releases/new-data-reveals-high-awareness-among-us-adults-what-constitutes-sexual-assault#.WOPGvzGYt8k.twitter. Accessed 4 Apr 2017.

  • O’Neil, M., & Morgan, P. (2010). American Perceptions of Sexual Violence: A FrameWorks Research Report. Retrieved from FrameWorks Institute: http://www.frameworksinstitute.org/assets/files/PDF_sexualviolence/AmericanPerceptionsofSexualViolence.pdf

  • Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering and Tacking. (2017). Raising Awareness about Sexual Abuse: Facts and Statistics. https://www.nsopw.gov/enGB/Education/FactsStatistics?AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1. Accessed 4 Apr 2017.

  • Olver, M. E., & Barlow, A. A. (2010). Public Attitudes toward Sex Offenders and Their Relationship to Personality Traits and Demographic Characteristics. Behaviour, Science and Law, 28(6), 832–849.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Payne, B., Tewksbury, R., & Mustaine, E. (2010). Attitudes about Rehabilitating Sex Offenders: Demographic, Victimization, and Community-level Influences. Journal of Criminal Justice, 38(4), 580–588.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Roberts, J. V. (1992). Public Opinion, Crime and Criminal Justice. In M. Tonry (Ed.), Crime and Justice: A Review of Research (Vol. 16). Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rogers, D., & Ferguson, C. (2011). Punishment and Rehabilitation Attitudes toward Sex Offenders versus Nonsexual Offenders. Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment and Trauma, 20(4), 395–414.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rogers, P., Hirst, L., & Davies, M. (2011). An Investigation into the Effect of Respondent Gender, Victim Age, and Perpetrator Treatment on Public Attitudes towards Sex Offenders, Sex Offender Treatment, and Sex Offender Rehabilitation. Journal of Offender Rehabilitation, 50(8), 511–530.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sample, L. L., & Kadleck, C. (2008). Sex Offender Laws: Legislators’ Accounts of the Need for Policy. Criminal Justice Policy Review, 19, 40–62.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Scott, S., Jackson, S., & Backett-Milburn, K. (1998). Swings and Roundabouts: Risk Anxiety and the Everyday Worlds of Children. Sociology, 32, 689–705.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shackley, M., Weiner, C., Day, A., & Willis, G. (2014). Assessment of Public Attitudes towards Sex Offenders in an Australian Population. Psychology, Crime and Law, 20(6), 553–572.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Silverman, J., & Wilson, D. (2002). Innocence Betrayed: Paedophilia, the Media and Society. Cambridge: Polity.

    Google Scholar 

  • Smallbone, S., Marshall, W. L., & Wortley, R. (2008). Preventing Child Sexual Abuse: Evidence, Policy and Practice. Cullompton: Willan.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sundt, J., Cullen, F., Applegate, B., & Turner, M. (1998). The Tenacity of the Rehabilitative Ideal Revisited: Have Attitudes toward Offender Treatment Changed? Criminal Justice and Behavior, 25(4), 426–442.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tabachnick, J. (2013). Why Prevention? Why Now? International Journal of Behavioral Consultation and Therapy, 8, 55–61.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tabachnick, J., & Baker, K. (2018). Engaging the Public Through Messaging and Bystander Actions. In M. Erooga (Ed.), Protecting Children and Adults from Abuse After Savile: What Organizations and Institutions Need to Do. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tabachnick, J., & Klein, A. (2011). A Reasoned Approach: Reshaping Sex Offender Policy to Prevent Child Sexual Abuse. Association for the Treatment of Sexual Abusers: Beaverton.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tabachnick, J., & Newton-Ward, M. (2010). Using Social Marketing for Effective Sexual Violence Prevention. In K. Kaufman (Ed.), Sexual Violence Prevention. Holyoke: NEARI Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tabachnick, J., McCartan, K. F., & Panero, R. (2016). Changing Course: From an Offender/Victim Duality to a Preventative One. In R. Laws & W. O’Donohue (Eds.), Treatment of Sex Offenders: Strengths and Weaknesses in Assessment and Intervention. Cham: Springer. Chapter 14.

    Google Scholar 

  • Thakker, J. (2012). Public Attitudes to Sex Offenders in New Zealand. Journal of Sexual Aggression, 18, 149–163.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Thomas, T. (2005). Sex Crime: Sex Offending and Society (2nd ed.). Cullompton: Willan.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tomlin, L. & Wagner, J. (1985). The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe. Theatre Production. http://www.playbill.com/production/the-search-for-signs-of-intelligent-life-in-the-universe-plymouth-theatre-vault-0000009565. Accessed 15 Mar 2017.

  • UNICEF. (2014). Hidden in Plain Sight. Retrieved from: http://files.unicef.org/publications/files/Hidden_in_plain_sight_statistical_analysis_EN_3_Sept_2014.pdf

  • Viki, G., Fullerton, I., Raggett, H., Tait, F., & Wiltshire, S. (2012). The Role of Dehumanization in Attitudes toward the Social Exclusion and Rehabilitation of Sex Offenders. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 42(10), 2349–2367.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Willis, G. M., Levenson, J. S., & Ward, T. (2010). Desistance and Attitudes towards Sex Offenders: Facilitation or Hindrance? Journal of Family Violence, 25, 545–556.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Willis, G. M., Yates, P. M., Gannon, T. A., & Ward, T. (2013). How to Integrate the Good Lives Model into Treatment Programs for Sexual Offending: An Introduction and Overview. Sexual Abuse: A Journal of Research and Treatment, 25(2), 123–142.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wood J. (2009). Why Is Public Opinion of the Criminal Justice System Important. In J. Wood & T. Gannon(eds), Public Opinion and Criminal Justice (Chap. 2). Cullompton: Willan.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wood, J., & Gannon, T. (2009). Public Opinion and Criminal Justice. Cullompton: Willan.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wortley, R., & Smallbone, S. (2006). Applying Situational Principles to Sexual Offenses against Children. In R. Wortley & S. Smallbone (eds), Situational Prevention of Child Sexual Abuse (Crime Prevention Series 19, pp. 7–35). Monsey: Criminal Justice Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yankelovich, D. (1991). Coming to Public Judgement: Making Democracy Work in a Complex World (The Frank W. Abrams Lectures). Syracuse: Syracuse University Press.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. DSM Consulting, Nothampton, MA, USA

    Joan Tabachnick

  2. Dept of Criminology, University of the West of England, Bristol, UK

    Kieran McCartan

Authors
  1. Joan Tabachnick
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Kieran McCartan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Dept of Criminology, University of the West of England, Bristol, United Kingdom

    Kieran McCartan

  2. Community and Criminal Justice, De Montfort University, Leicester, United Kingdom

    Hazel Kemshall

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2017 The Author(s)

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Tabachnick, J., McCartan, K. (2017). Sexual Harm, Public Education and Risk Management. In: McCartan, K., Kemshall, H. (eds) Contemporary Sex Offender Risk Management, Volume I. Palgrave Studies in Risk, Crime and Society. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-63567-5_3

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-63567-5_3

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-63566-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-63567-5

  • eBook Packages: Law and CriminologyLaw and Criminology (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation